Chapter 71 The Deflected Blade

After activating the "Black Hole," Yun Bai's combat power underwent a heaven-turning, earth-shattering change.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

As the short sword swung, it brought forth sharp, piercing whistles through the air!

With his speed, strength, and reaction time comprehensively enhanced, Yun Bai's figure was as fast as a phantom, each sword strike containing terrifying explosive power far exceeding what it had been before.

Wang Er's proud Blood Fiend Tiger Roar was actually met, parried, and even suppressed time and again by that seemingly light and agile short sword.

Crimson saber light and cold sword radiance collided fiercely, the explosive sounds continuous, sparks splashing down like rain.

The more Wang Er fought, the more terrified he became!

He felt as if his saber was striking a high-speed moving alloy fortress.

The opponent's sword was not only fast, accurate, and ruthless, but its power was also shockingly great. Even more terrifying was the cold, dead, and all-consuming killing intent radiating from Yun Bai, which clung to him like maggots on bone, constantly eroding his will and sending chills into the depths of his heart!

The strength and saber techniques he was so proud of were now being comprehensively suppressed! He could only struggle to hold on, retreating step by step!

Off the stage, the atmosphere was already boiling.

Jiang Shuanger jumped up in excitement, hands clasped tightly in front of her chest, her beautiful eyes shimmering with brilliance. Her previous worries were swept away, leaving only boundless surprise!

The few lackeys Wang Er had brought looked ashen; their earlier clamoring had long since vanished, leaving only faces full of disbelief and terror.

Chen Yuan, in the crowd, had his brows tightly locked and his expression grave, his eyes fixed firmly on the battle on the arena.

The Enforcement Elder and Elder Yin Xin behind the light screen had a trace of imperceptible approval flash in their eyes—to be able to erupt with such combat power under such a disadvantage, this child's Heart-Nature and Foundation were both top-tier.

A trace of regret finally rose in Wang Er's heart. He was about to reach his limit!

Yun Bai attacked frantically like a mad demon, tireless. Each collision numbed his arms, caused his Qi and blood to churn, and drained his stamina rapidly. Fear, like a cold viper, began to coil around his heart.

Just at the moment he was almost in despair.

Wang Er suddenly felt that Yun Bai's storm-like offensive suddenly stalled.

That terrifying devouring suction and violent explosive power vanished without a trace, like a receding tide.

"Secret technique... has the time run out?!"

Wang Er was ecstatic! Like a drowning man grabbing the last straw! The instinct to survive and the desire to turn the tables instantly overcame everything!

"Die—!" A ferocious, vicious light erupted in Wang Er's eyes. He squeezed out the last bit of spiritual power in his body, ignoring the numb, sharp pain in his right shoulder, and poured all his remaining strength into the saber.

The mountain-splitting saber transformed into a crimson afterimage that tore through the air, carrying the determination to perish together, striking directly at Yun Bai's vitals.

It was his ultimate killing move—"Blood Tiger Soul Severing"! The speed and power were far greater than any previous strike! The blade pointed directly at the fatal opening Yun Bai revealed because his secret technique had ended!

At this moment, Yun Bai also felt that the spiritual power flowing continuously into his body from the world had suddenly ceased.

His explosive power was rapidly weakening. The outcome of a battle between Innate Cultivators happened in milliseconds; such an obvious lack of follow-through would definitely be seized upon by Wang Er.

"What is going on!" He roared at Xiao Liu in his mind.

[Detected that the concentration of surrounding spiritual power is too low.]

Yun Bai only then realized that the spiritual power within the arena space had been completely swept clean by him. The arena was surrounded by a faint light screen—that was the defensive Formation isolating the arena from the spectator area, and this Formation had actually completely sealed off the spiritual power inside from the outside!

Yun Bai had assumed this Formation was only to prevent the fighting inside the arena from affecting the outside, but he had overlooked one of the original purposes for which this Formation was built—to prevent anyone from the outside from interfering with the battle inside the arena at will!

This Formation could not only block the aftermath of the battle inside the arena but also shielded the outside spiritual power airtightly.

Yun Bai's heart instantly sank to the bottom.

It's over!

The shadow of death descended instantly!

Everyone off the stage had their hearts in their throats. One second, Yun Bai was pressing Wang Er so hard he couldn't breathe like a rainstorm, and the next second, Yun Bai had turned into a deflated ball.

Jiang Shuanger's excited smile was still frozen on her face.

Yun Bai's pupils shrank to needles.

That fatal saber light rapidly magnified in his eyes.

His eyes were splitting, his muscles tensed to the limit, wanting to twist his body to dodge, but under the immense emptiness after the secret technique ended and the absolute suppression of speed and power, he couldn't make any effective evasive move. He could only watch helplessly as the cold blade tore through the air and struck directly.

A hair's breadth away! The blade had almost touched Yun Bai's clothes!

Just at this life-and-death moment!

Something bizarre happened!

That sure-to-hit, thunderous crimson saber light had its trajectory shift in an extremely subtle, yet life-altering way! It was as if an invisible hand had flicked it ever so slightly at the very last moment!

Rip—

The cold blade did not strike Yun Bai's chest or neck, but instead brushed closely past his waist. The incomparably sharp Saber Qi instantly tore through his clothes, slicing open a hideous wound deep enough to see bone across Yun Bai's waist and ribs. Blood gushed out like a spring, instantly dyeing half his body crimson.

"Ugh—" The heart-piercing, bone-chilling pain made Yun Bai's vision go black, almost causing him to faint. But it was precisely this unbelievable deviation that gave him a glimmer of a chance to breathe.

Wang Er was even more completely stunned! His all-out, sure-to-kill strike... had actually missed? How was this possible? Great astonishment left his brain blank.

Because killing moves were not allowed in arena duels, he had thought the previous strike had already secured victory, so he hadn't prepared any follow-up moves at all!

It was this fatal moment of astonishment in the blink of an eye!

Yun Bai's incomparable fighting will overcame everything.

All pain and exhaustion were thrown to the back of his mind; only a cold light of extreme ferocity remained in his eyes!

He didn't even think about why the saber had deviated; his body, like a spring compressed to the limit, erupted with its final strength under the stimulation of the intense pain, and he sprang up violently!

Puchi—!

The sword in his hand transformed into a sharp, mournful cold light that condensed all his will and power. In the moment Wang Er's defenses were wide open due to his astonishment, it pierced his right scapula with absolute precision! The tip of the sword, carrying a spray of blood, pierced through his back!

Wang Er let out a heart-rending scream.

The mountain-splitting saber fell with a "clang" onto the blue-steel stone floor.

The intense pain of his right shoulder being pierced and the instantaneous loss of power made Wang Er feel as if his bones had been removed. He staggered back several steps, his face full of extreme pain, bewilderment, and unbelievable horror!

He stared fixedly at Yun Bai, as if looking at a monster!

Yun Bai struck with his sword; Wang Er barely dodged.

Yun Bai struck with his sword again; Wang Er scrambled to escape.

Yun Bai followed with his sword again; Wang Er had nowhere to escape.

Finally, Yun Bai's blood-bathed sword tip rested before the kneeling Wang Er's eyes.

The whole arena was dead silent; a pin drop could be heard.

Time seemed to have frozen at this moment.

Everyone was stunned by this thrilling, dramatic reversal.

One second ago, Yun Bai's life was hanging by a thread, about to bleed on the spot; the next second, it was Wang Er who had his shoulder pierced by a sword and ended in a miserable defeat?!

That terrifying will erupted in a desperate situation, that near-Prodigy ability to grasp combat opportunities, made all spectators feel a chill shoot from the soles of their feet to the tops of their heads.

Reversal, reversal, and another reversal.

A seemingly ordinary gambling duel pulled everyone's emotions back and forth.

"Hiss... so ruthless! So accurate!" Someone gasped.

"This... how on earth did he do that?" Someone muttered to themselves, their face full of disbelief.

"Wang Er's last saber strike... how could it have deviated?!" More people were filled with confusion about that strange deviation which had decided the outcome.

Jiang Shuanger slowly lowered her hand covering her mouth, her beautiful eyes wide, then a huge surprise and the excitement of surviving a disaster erupted, her eyes even a little moist.

Wang Er's lackeys were like chickens carved from wood, as if their throats had been strangled.

The deacon quickly leaped onto the arena, checked Wang Er's injuries, confirmed he had completely lost combat capability, and then announced loudly, his voice exceptionally clear in the great hall:

"The winner, Yun Bai!"